A Touch of Sun
by summer.carousel
Summary: Summer heat makes people a little crazy. Karin goes overboard when she tries to find out if Toushirou is really as frosty as he looks.


A Touch of Sun

**Heyy. New story. HitsuKarin. Awhh. :)**

**This idea came to me pretty randomly (aka daydreaming when i should be studying for finals), but I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. But I could be doing great things with it (coughcough unlike mr. TK right now)**

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Karin was determined.

She had to find out, or it would forever lurk in the back of her mind.

Like a big, ugly question mark.

_Was he...?_

_..._

It all started when she first met him.

At first, she would have called him a scrawny, snotty punk with weird hair and creepy eyes.

It was true, he pissed her off beyond belief.

That white hair.

Those cold, teal eyes.

Those soccer skills.

What a brat.

...

_But still…_

It was there, in the back of her mind.

Lurking like the grin of a Cheshire cat.

Like a secret that burned to be revealed.

But she would never let it.

On her pride and honor and reputation, Karin Kurosaki would never let the world know...

She kinda liked him.

_Oh the irony…_

_..._

She felt conflicted, wanting to both hate him with all her guts and also melt all over him with adoration like a popsicle in July's summer sun.

That white hair.

Those teal eyes.

Those soccer skills.

Oh, what a mess.

_A hot mess._

_..._

So there she sat, next to him on a bench, scuffing her shoes on the ground while not-so-surreptitiously sneaking glances at him out of the corner of her eye.

Texting. Like usual.

She would have guessed "maybe to his girlfriend," but she was beginning to have her doubts.

After all…

_Was Hitsugaya Toushirou…?_

He was so cold. Almost like a robot.

Did he have feelings? Emotions?

Was he even human?

Was that icy little heart capable of love? Care? Sympathy?

Or at least…hormones?

With a lieutenant like _that_, it would be hard not to.

But every time he looked at her, Karin almost flinched.

He must be impervious to girls.

...

_Was Hitsugaya Toshirou…gay?_

_..._

Karin accepted that this might be the truth, but she felt sorely disappointed.

She would believe that he swung the other way.

She would let fate take its cruel path.

She would acknowledge that Toushirou liked boys.

But not without a test.

_Oh ho ho…not so fast._

After all, she was Karin.

She was determined.

She was gonna solve this problem, even if it cost her her reputation as the most kickass tomboy in town, who most definitely, absolutely, positively did not have some feelings for a snotty white-haired punk.

...

_But…_

It would be a little embarrassing.

She would have to sacrifice some kickass-ness.

So, after some sneaking in Yuzu's drawers and a little scheming, she walked up to Toushirou with her heart in her throat and asked.

"Wanna come to the pool?"

Teal eyes flicker up.

Her heart flips around some more.

"Why?"

She snorted a little nervously. "'Cause it's summer, dummy. Everyone goes to the pool."

Teal eyes shift down to the cellphone.

"Mm."

"Is that a yes?"

"It's whatever you want it to be."

"So…seeya tomorrow."

"Mm."

_Part one…success._

_..._

So there she sits, next to him at the poolside, staring awkwardly at the shimmering water while he texts away.

The sun is blazing hot.

Her T-shirt is itchy. She glances at him.

Oblivious.

She tries to gracefully stand up and stretch nonchalantly. She glances back at him.

Still oblivious.

Karin takes a deep breath and summons all the courage from the pit of her soul into her arms.

She pulls off her T-shirt.

Then her shorts.

_Part two…success._

_..._

With her heart pumping like a rabid animal, she walks slowly over to the pool's edge, not looking back, and sticks a foot into the water.

It's cool.

Like those eyes.

Teal.

She catches a glimpse of herself in the water, a blurry image of a girl in a borrowed bikini, and it makes her want to run for the nearest trench coat and duct-tape herself into it.

But she can feel those eyes.

Burning into her back.

_Haha…made you look._

_..._

So what, if her method is a little bit…crude.

When Karin wants something, she will most definitely get it.

And if that means getting her hands a little dirty, so be it.

...

_Here goes nothing._

She gingerly sits down on the tile edge, inhales, and slips under the water.

She stays under for what feels like an hour.

The sun burns overhead.

When she slowly, slowly comes to the surface and slicks back her hair from her face, treading water in the middle of the pool, she sees him looking at her.

Victory.

Internally, she grins, but she keeps her face straight.

"You okay?"

He looks away.

"Yeah. Why?"

"You look a little…"

"A little what?"

"I don't know. Uncomfortable?"

He scowls.

"Yeah. It's hot as hell out here."

"But why are you so red?"

"...It's sunburn."

_Part three…success._

_..._

And so, Karin triumphantly found out what she was so determined to know.

He was _not _a robot.

He _was _human.

He _did _have feelings.

And he turned the cutest shade of pink.

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******Aww. Adorableness.**

******Review please, if you liked it :]**


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